Gérard Bertrand Cigalus White 2019

Jennifer Havers rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

Certified bio-dynamic wine. This is a Chardonnay dominant wine with some Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc added in. Aromas of pineapple, pear, golden apple and honey, along with some floral hints. Full bodied, rounded and soft on the palate, but with lovely bright fruit that has a lot of freshness. Lovely balance and a lot of subtle flavours coming through. Hints of honey and almond on the finish. Enjoy with creamy seafood pasta dishes or classic lemon and herb chicken.

Alana L rated this wine as 92/100 with the following review:

Cigalus, White, IGP Aude Hauterive, 2019 / Demeter-certified biodynamic, Cigalus is a mix of Chardonnay, Viognier, and Sauvignon Blanc. With Hand-picked grapes, 70% of the juice undergoing alcoholic fermentation in new barrels and 30 % in stainless steel vats, temperature controlled malolactic fermentation to conserve the freshness and integrity of the aromas and light fining, the Cigalus is rich, ripe, intense and complex with aromas of citrus fruit, peach, pear, apricot and honey and full, creamy flavours with notes of vanilla, toast, cream and exotic fruits on the palate with a rich, long finish. Definitely ageing potential, but beautiful now. Fun fact: the name ‘Cigalus’ is from the French word (Cigale) for cicadas, the insects singing loudly at certain times of the year near the estate. Would pair beautifully with creamy scallops or chicken/fish cooked in a butter sauce.

A leader in organic and biodynamic viticulture and named ‘Green Personality of the Year’ in 2020 at the Drinks Business Green Awards (the world's largest competition aimed at raising awareness of environmental issues in the beverage industry and rewarding exemplary sustainability and environmental performance), Gérard Bertrand discovered his passion for wine at his family’s estate, Villemajou, in 1975, started running it in 1987 and created the Gérard Bertrand wine company in 2002 to showcase and develop wines in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the South of France. The company now includes 16 châteaux, estates and wineries covering over 850 hectares cultivated using biodynamic methods in one or more of 6 levels of certification: conversion to organic agriculture; organic agriculture; no added sulphites; vegan; bee-friendly and Demeter-certified biodynamic. Guiding his philosophy is that these organic practices are not only an essential way to act for the planet and to ‘be the change’, but also that they allow the identity of the terroir and sense of place to shine through and for the wines to ‘taste of somewhere and not of something’!

Tasted as part of Gérard Bertrand’s virtual Organic French Wine festival.